Based on how his Pioneer High School girls tennis team performed in two practice matches with Vacaville, Ferguson said he was "really happy with our progress so far."

Today Ferguson and 11 Patriots head to Clovis for the California Tennis Classic on Friday and Saturday, the first official action of the fall.

Leading Pioneer this season are fourth-year varsity players Melinda Vallar and Abby Wolff, Nos. 1 and 2 respectively.

"Both of them have been playing really consistent," Ferguson said. "They're just both good battlers. They're going to struggle a little bit against really tough competition, but they'll get in there and battle anybody."

Doubles transplants Abbie Tripp and Lilliana Juarez come in at Nos. 3 and 4. Ferguson said Tripp "really improved" over the summer and Juarez "was in a long battle (Tuesday) and won."

Freshmen Jenny Bates and Olivia Bryan finish off the top six singles players.

The coach believes Bates and Bryan are "making really good progress" because of their participation in Pioneer's summer tennis camps and their practice with Michael Kwong, the city's recreation department's tennis professional via the Cello International Tennis Academy.

The six singles "will do well" in Tri-County Conference play, Ferguson said.

Trish Tran and Joyce Yu form the Patriots' top doubles tandem. Ferguson called the duo "Mighty Mites" because "they're small but they're hustlers with good strokes."

Behind Tran and Yu are a group of six untested players who are competing for four doubles spots.

In the practice matches with Division I Vacaville the Patriots fell 5-4 on the road Aug. 27 and won 5-4 at home Tuesday.

League competition for Div. II Pioneer starts Wednesday at River Valley. Sac-Joaquin-Section realignment brought two new teams to the TCC this season in Rio Linda and River City, which Ferguson said is "usually a powerhouse."

Between the new school and the loss to graduation of standout twins Marissa and Anna Ditler, there was reason for Ferguson to be lukewarm on the Patriots.

"I thought we'd be middle of the pack this year, just from what I was projecting," Ferguson said. "We still might be. But ? we might be a little better than I originally thought. But you never know."